MUMBAI: Observing that some of the content was “vile’’ “abusive’’ and “certainly defamatory’’, Bombay high court on Wednesday granted urgent interim relief to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and directed Social Media intermediaries to remove posts including videos that linked him to the ethanol-blended fuel (EBP) controversy.Gadkari had sought judicial intervention against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google LLC, and others to delete online content he alleged was “false, fabricated, and defamatory”, AI-generated deepfake videos and other manipulated digital content linking him incorrectly to EBP programme.Justice Arif Doctor sitting singly who heard the matter and passed the order, said the online platforms ought to have or prepare a framework to take down such content without necessitating a court intervention each time.The posts went beyond acceptable political criticism or satire, said his suit and transgressed on his personal rights, his public persona, his personality rights with “profane and abusive’’ content, Gadkari’s suit contended. He sought ₹11 crore in damages from John Doe (the unnamed and unidentified persons or entities) that posted content he submitted was “malicious, false…’’Gadkari’s counsel Sandeep Ladda submitted that the ‘defamatory and deepfake contents’ ought to be taken down, as they were harming the Minister’s reputation and goodwill, as well his personality rights and public standing.“I can only say that the same is absolutely vile and abusive,’’ Justice Doctor said on seeing the content Ladda cited. The HC Judge added, “Such material should have no place on a public platform, which is accessible to everyone, including young.’’The HC asked the counsel for Meta and others, if the intermediaries had any measures in place for taking down defamatory content. Justice Doctor directed the platforms to give the “basic customer information’’ of content creators and granted liberty to Gadkari to add them as parties to the suit.There is a rising pushback against the blended fuel programme introduced to curb crude oil imports. Motorists and critics said it corrodes fuel tanks in older or non-compliant cars.Gadkari’s suit said the Centre had way back in 2003 introduced Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) as a national policy initiative to blend ethanol with petrol in a phased manner. Gadkari has been serving as the Minister of Road Transport since 2014.The implementation and progress details of EBP policy are handled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, his suit added. In 2025-26 the Centre achieved 20%blending of ethanol with petrol or E20 as it is called. His suit claims though he has no role in the programme, some content circulated online in July falsely associates him with the EBP and E20 initiative.His suit stressed that he has “no role or nexus whatsoever with EBP or the E20 initiative which is administered exclusively by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas’’ and the content online “falls out of the ambit of legitimate political criticism or satire.”Gadkari’s suit says it is not intended to prevent public discussion or criticism of his public duty actions or government policies. It said he “does not seek to stifle or restrain fair criticism, dissent, debate or bona fide expression of opinion concerning his public life, governmental policies or official functions.”The HC granted Gadkari the liberty to convey to the online platforms any future abusive content and to approach the court in case of any “grey area’’.The HC will hear the matter next after 4 weeks.
